Hook, Line and Sinker
by TumblingTroublesomeTumbleweeds
Summary: When Iruka finds one of his favorite former students crying after being rejected by the copy ninja, he gets mad and goes to confront the man. Little does he know what's in store. Because Ischemia over at Ao3 wanted another Kakashi/Iruka :) Fluff, fluff, fluffity fluff.


Akemi Hanozono checked her appearance in the shop's reflection. Running a hand down her smooth red hair she smiled nervously. She had been working up the courage for months. She caught sight of the familiar shock of silver hair and steeled her nerves. _Y__ou can do this_ she told herself, nervously biting her lip.

"Umm...Kakashi-san?"

The infamous Hatake Kakashi looked up lazily as he regarded the young chunin in front of him dismissively.

"May I help you?" coolly polite.

Akemi breathed deeply and nodded, "I, um, I was wondering if you would maybe...like to go out with me sometime..." she asked, fidgeting with the hem of her skirt.

"No." the reply was curt and made Akemi die inside, "you're not my type"

... ... ...

Today was a very nice day in the eyes of one Umino Iruka. The sun was shining yet it was still cool enough so that he could let his students do outdoor training the entire day, he had gotten eight full hours asleep and was caught up on grading. All he had to do was his mission room shift, go home and catch up on some luxury reading.

It was a very good day.

That is, until he heard sobbing. Blinking curiously, the big-hearted schoolteacher followed the source of the sound and frowned as he saw a pretty young kunoichi sobbing beneath a tree.

"Akemi-chan?" Iruka asked, stunned to recognize his former student. She had been one of his favorites and still dropped by to see him frequently.

She looked up as he wrapped his arms around her comfortingly, "Iruka-sensei?" she sniffled.

"What's wrong Akemi-chan?" he asked softly, running his hand through the soft hair as she cried into his shoulder, "what happened?"

Through incoherent words and much sobbing, Iruka managed to extract the full story. Fierce, protective anger settled in him. Even though Kakashi was a popular and handsome man, that didn't give him the right to be so cruel with Akemi. She was a pretty young thing, long red hair and wide green eyes, she was also devastatingly sweet, and Iruka knew that her naturally shy nature had probably made the entire ordeal harder.

"If he can't see you for you," Iruka comforted her, "then he's not good enough"

After several more minutes of comforting the distraught young woman, Iruka softly kissed the top of her head in a fatherly gesture.

"Thank you Iruka-sensei," Akemi sniffled, drying her eyes, "you always knew how to make me feel better"

"You're welcome Akemi-chan," Iruka helped her up. Seeing the worn out expression on the redhead's face, he made up his mind to confront the famed copy-ninja.

... ... ...

"Kakashi-sensei!"

Kakashi looked up from his book in mild disinterest as the irate schoolteacher approached him. Pocketing the orange-covered literature, he turned to face him.

"Iruka-sensei, yo"

"Don't you 'yo' me," the chocolate eyes flashed, "what is the meaning of your behavior?"

"Behavior? Please, Iruka-sensei, do elaborate"

Iruka could feel his temper rising at the man's indifference. He was not going to think about how attractive the man in front of him was. _Focus Iruka. _"Your treatment of Akemi today was callous and uncalled for. Despite your rumored short-comings, I have yet to hear that you are cold when you shatter the feelings of a young, impressionable kunoichi!"

"I'm afraid I don't know who you're talking about Iruka-sensei," Kakashi said fixing the tanned chunin with his one good eye, "if you're talking about the young woman with red hair who asked me out, I simply told her she was not my type"

Iruka glared, "she spent all morning crying her eyes out!" he placed one hand on his hip and pointed the other at Kakashi, "it was incredibly uncalled for!"

"Maa Iruka-sensei," Kakashi gently wrapped his hand around the extended wrist, prompting the fiery teacher to widen his eyes slightly, "I was telling the truth...she is not my type," his visible grey eye bored into Iruka's brown ones, making the chunin's heart race and the skin under Kakashi's gentle grip uncharacteristically hot. "I will not deny she was quite pretty, but my type is taller...more masculine...preferably with a darker complexion..." his gaze flicked over the startled, blushing face and Iruka could see a smile curving beneath his mask. "Unfortunately, the rudeness of earlier was merely bait...for the fish I truly wanted to catch," the lone eye twinkled mischievously, "I'm sorry I broke the heart of such an attractive young woman...but I saw an opportunity..." the hand not trapping Iruka's wrist wrapped around his waist and the next thing the schoolteacher knew, he was being held flush against the older man's body. In one swift movement, the mask was down and his lips descended on the younger man's in a quick, soft kiss. Eyes wide, Iruka struggled to register what just happened. His face turned a bright shade of red that had yet to be catalogued on the color scale.

"Kakashi-sensei...w-wha-?" Iruka's brain failed him. Sure, he and Kakashi had grown closer since the Chunin Exams when Kakashi had knocked Iruka down several pegs, they had become friends...but he hadn't for one second believed the man would ever feel this way...not towards him.

All he could think was that Kakashi was toying with him, teasing him. Chocolate eyes narrowed dangerously. "You are a cruel man Hatake Kakashi," he said darkly. Kakashi's visible eye widened as Iruka vanished.

... ... ...

Iruka was sitting at the mission's desk, silently fuming.

"Man, you look like you're going to kill that potted plant..." he looked up to see his coworker Genma staring at him in amusement, rolling the ever present senbon in his mouth. "What did it ever do to you?"

The crease between Iruka's brows relaxed and he smiled warmly, the sudden change catching the jonin off-guard. "Ah, sorry Genma-san, just thinking about an earlier run-in"

Genma chuckled, "I would hate to be the person who is responsible for such a deadly look," the man was being honest, he had been on the receiving end of one of Iruka's death glares once. Once. It was not pretty, and Genma had spent the rest of the day looking over his shoulder.

Iruka smiled, but the hidden threat caused Genma to swallow thickly. "Don't worry Genma-san, I just don't appreciate being toyed with"

"Who's toying with you?" Genma asked, surprised. He was fond of the chunin, the younger man was very good company, entertaining, always willing to help and easy on the eyes. He didn't appreciate seeing the younger man get hurt.

"It's nothing," Iruka smiled, "believe me..."

Genma didn't look convinced, but he shrugged and let it slide. "Oh, hey Kakashi-san," he grinned at the door. His eyes widened as the tan chunin tensed, eyes narrowed dangerously. Oh this was going to be good.

"Evening Iruka-sensei," Kakashi smiled lazily through his mask, "and how might you be?" "Better before," he snatched the proffered report and stamped it violently, not bothering to read it before tossing it in the pile, "Konoha thanks you for your service," he said uncharacteristically coldly.

"Aren't you going to read it?" the jonin asked.

"I'm sure it's been filled out correctly, I can see no visible tears or stains, it will suffice," the teacher turned back to the quizzes he was grading when Kakashi leaned in, dangerously close.

"I'd appreciate it if you would read it _sensei_," he drawled the title in a manner that had Iruka fighting back a shiver, "I'm pretty sure there are a few things you may need to correct"

The chocolate eyes flashed dangerously, "I teach 'pre-genin', Hatake-san," he said quietly without looking up from his quizzes, he missed the flinch from the older man, "if there are errors in composition, they are not my problem. You're old enough to self-correct...now please get out of my face," he wielded the words like a coldly polite yet deadly sword.

Kakashi reached over and took his mission report out of the box before placing it on Iruka's desk, effectively covering the quiz. With an irritated sigh, the chunin set down his pen, maybe if he did what the silver-haired jerk wanted, he would leave him in peace.

**Mission**: Hook, Line and Sinker  
**Objective**: A date with Iruka-sensei  
**Operative**: Hatake Kakashi  
**Target**: Umino Iruka  
**Completion Status**: Failed  
**Additional Comments**: After intensive surveillance, was offered opportune chance to get target to approach. Knowing the young kunoichi was a favorite of target, that word of my rejection tactics would get around to the target. As predicted, target approached angry (note: target is highly attractive when angry). Conversation ensued and target escaped. More attempts will be made.

Iruka sat there, stunned. He looked into the grey eye and noted nothing but sincerity. A snicker sounded from above and he looked up to see Genma reading over his shoulder.

"Smooth Kakashi, real smooth...what did I tell you about just telling him straight out?"

"You knew?" Iruka was shocked as Genma nodded, senbon wiggling with the motion.

"It's not like he was trying to hide it...you're just dense"

Iruka glanced between the two jonin, slightly suspicious.

"Genma-san," Kakashi's mask twitched, "can you cover for Iruka-sensei?"

"Sure thing!" Genma's cheery response covered Iruka's squawk of protest.

"Great!" Kakashi grabbed Iruka's wrist and they disappeared in a poof of smoke, leaving Genma to chuckle to himself.

... ... ...

"Gah!" Iruka pulled away from the copy-nin and stumbled backwards. A strong, warm pair of arms snaked around his waist, pulling him flush against a lean body and stopped him from landing hard on his butt. Iruka felt his face heat up, the blush scalding his neck and cheeks as he breathed in the distinctly earthy scent that was Kakashi.

"Careful there," Iruka felt the rumble of Kakashi's chest, "don't want you to get hurt now"

"Let. Go." Iruka tried to push Kakashi away.

"Nuh uh," the grip tightened around the flushing teacher, "I don't wanna"

Iruka sighed his defeat and let his head fall on the taller man's shoulder, if he were totally honest with himself, he liked being held by the jonin.

"Why?"

"Is it really that hard to believe?"

"You're KAKASHI"

"Really? I didn't know"

Iruka thumped him on the chest, "shut up. What I mean is..." he took a deep breath and felt his face turn even redder, "you could have anyone you want...I'm nothing special, I'm nobody..." Kakashi frowned, it almost sounded like he was reciting something.

"Who told you that?" Kakashi's voice was sharp.

"Mzzk," Iruka buried his face in Kakashi's vest.

"Who?"

"Never mind..." came the stubborn answer. Kakashi frowned deeper. He tilted the chunin's chin upwards and lifted his hitai-ate exposing his Sharingan.

"Don't," he said with an uncharacteristic sharpness, "who made you believe you were nothing?" Iruka bit his lip and glanced around the room, avoiding Kakashi's gaze. "Iruka," Kakashi's voice was a growl, "I want to know who made you believe a lie that big"

"Please, Kakashi-san, just drop it"

Kakashi sighed in defeat and Iruka looked at him in surprise. "If it'll make you happy," the copy-nin said, "I won't push...but I want you to know that whoever it was, was wrong. You're amazing. You have the patience to deal with small children during the day and after, you still have a smile for the weary ninja returning with their mission reports. Sometimes, after a grueling mission, seeing a genuine smile is enough to make it seem not so bad...that there's someone who is genuinely happy to see you returned safely. I've only known one other person who can do what you do," Kakashi brushed his masked lips across Iruka's temple, "my jonin-sensei"

Iruka felt his chest warm at the words. He knew Kakashi held his former sensei, the Yondaime Hokage, in incredibly high regard. That kind of compliment was not one Kakashi would give lightly.

"And if that wasn't enough," Kakashi continued, "you found it in yourself to open your heart and home to the boy who carries the demon fox inside of him even though the fox was responsible for the deaths of your parents...you are an amazing man Iruka," he whispered, "don't believe anything else"

Iruka was stunned speechless. He felt tears in his eyes and hastily blinked them away before looking up at Kakashi. He realized something was off, and then it hit him: Kakashi's mask was down. He gasped as he studied Kakashi's handsome face, the skin was a few shades paler than the rest of his face, he had a slightly narrow chin, slender nose with a bit of an upturn and a small scar above his lips.

"You're really serious about this..." Iruka whispered in shock. Now that Kakashi's face was visible, he could see two spots of pink on his high cheekbones. Iruka felt a rush of affection for the man. He tilted his head up and lightly brushed his lips across Kakashi's. The taller man's lips were soft and warm as Kakashi chased the kiss, deepening it. It was such a gentle yet sensual kiss it left Iruka breathless and shaky.

When Kakashi pulled away, his mismatched eyes were warm with affection. He smiled a gorgeous smile and Iruka knew he was lost. He also felt unbelievably self-conscious and insecure again. Apparently it showed on his face because Kakashi frowned and kissed him again.

"Don't," the copy-nin murmured against Iruka's lips. "Don't feel like that"

"I can't help it..." Iruka said softly, curling his fingers into his shirt.

Kakashi sighed and held him tighter. This was definitely something they were going to have to work on, but it could wait.

"Dinner?" Kakashi asked tilting his head. Iruka smiled slightly and nodded. Kakashi took his hand and guided him out.

... ... ...

They were leaving the restaurant hand-in-hand when a pretty redhead passed by arm-in-arm with a young man with a long, brown ponytail. Akemi spotted them and her jaw dropped as understanding filled her eyes.

"Congratulations Iruka-sensei!" she called.

Iruka jumped and flushed. Kakashi waved their linked hands and Iruka flushed darker but smiled shyly. Akemi shot him an encouraging smile and walked off with the brunet.

"Well...I guess she's happy," Iruka laughed softly. Kakashi grinned beneath his mask and kissed Iruka's temple.

"Forgiven?"

Iruka looked briefly confused, but realization settled in and he laughed, leaning into Kakashi's side.

"Forgiven"


End file.
